NIA prepares template to glean information on terror funding

NEW DELHI: National Investigation Agency (NIA) - an elite Central agency that was set up after 26\11 to probe terror-related cases - has prepared a 'Terror Funding Template' (TFT), which will help its officials and investigators of states' anti-terror agencies to extract information on terror funding.

This Template, describing core sources and methods for terror funding, has been circulated to all states and Union Territories for getting relevant information from terrorists and terror suspects during their interrogation and probe.

"The Terror Funding Template is prepared by the NIA in consultation with Central intelligence agency. This template is quite comprehensive that can be helpful in leading investigators to the source of funding for terrorist activities," said a home ministry official.

He said that the TFT can be used as vital 'interrogation and probe tools' to not only extract information from terrorists, but also keep eye on various other activities that directly or indirectly contribute to funding terrorist organizations in India and elsewhere.

Besides usual source of terror funding through hawala, narcotics trade and printing\circulation of fake Indian currency notes, the Template has taken into account `misuse' of 'zakat' - giving alms to poor and needy as prescribed by the Quran - to fund terror activities.

"Though it is primarily based on the tools used by Western anti-terror probe agencies, the Indian Template has factored in local issues like reports suggesting\alleging diversion of fund from various 'madarsas' along border areas to different terror outfits," said an official.

The NIA has recently registered two cases of terror funding, from which the agency got a lot of information about the method and source of such 'funds'.

The first case was registered on October 25 on the basis of information that the Jammu and Kashmir-based terror outfit, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), is being regularly and systematically funded from across the border for the purpose of terrorist activities in India.

The second similar case was registered on November 14 that relates to terror funding for both HM and Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).